Behind The Lens

It's a fun week of crime and comedy, mystery and drama on BEHIND THE LENS as we take a look at two new films – THE CLEAN UP CREW with director JON KEEYES and CHARLIE TANGO with writer/director SIMON BOISVERT. First up, my exclusive interview with director JON KEEYES going in-depth into THE CLEAN UP CREW, a terrific crime comedy that boasts some incredible performances, most notably a balls-to-the-wall comedic turn by Melissa Leo and a scene-stealing Antonio Banderas, not to mention fun and action at every turn. Listen as Jon and I go into detail on the cinematography and editing choices, costuming and color, casting, score, and more! What excited me about speaking with Jon is his own sense of humor and joy as he talks about the film, something that comes through loud and clear on screen. Then writer/director SIMON BOISVERT joins us discussing his new twisty thriller CHARLIE TANGO. An intriguing tale that appears to be one thing, but thanks to Simon's storytelling skill and craftsmanship, turns on

An informative and fun show for you this week on BEHIND THE LENS as we welcome director RJ COLLINS live discussing his new crime thriller CRESCENT CITY. Plus, my exclusive interview with composer BLAKE NEELY, Emmy nominee for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music for MASTERS OF THE AIR. First, we're going for gold, Emmy gold that is, thanks to composer BLAKE NEELY. Emmy nominations are out and voting begins later this week for Television Academy members. One of my favorite nominees is composer BLAKE NEELY who snagged a nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music for MASTERS OF THE AIR. In this exclusive interview, Blake and I dive into the essence of MASTERS Main Title Theme and its creation from composition to instrumentation and the importance of capturing the emotional essence of the story through music and creating a unique sound and experience by incorporating different instruments and orchestral elements that add depth and complexity to the piece. And then, director RJ COLLINS joins me live di

What a fun show we've got for you with this episode of BEHIND THE LENS with something for everyone thanks to the fabulous SIMON PHILLIPS and his new film THE MOUSE TRAP, plus my exclusive interview with director NANETTE BURSTEIN talking her new documentary ELIZABETH TAYLOR: THE LOST TAPES. First up, get ready classic film fans, TCM fans, and Elizabeth Taylor fans because we're kicking off the show with my exclusive interview with NANETTE BURSTEIN and her new doc, ELIZABETH TAYLOR: THE LOST TAPES. Released exclusively on HBO on August 3rd, you do not want to miss this one. And you don't want to miss this interview as Nanette talks about the project, starting with how these 40 hours of previously unheard and unknown tapes came to her; a story in and of itself! And then…… he's back!!! SIMON PHILLIPS is back with us for the third time and this time it's all about THE MOUSE TRAP as Producer/Writer/ and playing "Mickey"!! In January 2024, Simon released the trailer for this

It's an out-of-this-world full house on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to our special guests ERIN MACDONALD, PH.D. talking about SPACE CADET, STAR TREK: PRODIGY and astrophysics, and director JAY SILVERMAN talking about his beautiful new film CAMERA. I'm so excited to have DR. ERIN MACDONALD join us to discuss her myriad of ongoing projects including serving as science consultant to the new fun Prime Video film SPACE CADET which is the story of a female protagonist who dreams of being an astronaut. And if that's not enough, Erin not only serves as science advisor to the STAR TREK franchise, but voices her fictional counterpart in the animated STAR TREK: PRODIGY now streaming on Netflix! Plus, she's one of the forces behind the film IDENTITEAZE. Adding to the excitement this week is the return of director JAY SILVERMAN who is back for his third appearance on #BTLRadioshow, this time talking about his new film CAMERA. Get the tissues out for this one when you see it. Beyond heart

It's a jam-packed episode of BEHIND THE LENS as director JEFF CELENTANO joins us live talking about his new film BLACKWATER LANE, and you'll also hear my exclusive interviews with ERIC ROBERTS talking LUMINA while GUY PEARCE discusses THE CONVERT. First up is my exclusive interview with the one and only ERIC ROBERTS talking about one of his new films (he has so many popping out and on deck), the sci-fi thriller LUMINA. A fun interview with one of my favorite character actors. Giving insight into creating a character including the wardrobe, production design, and location, Eric also discusses his process for accepting roles. Then director JEFF CELENTANO discusses his new psychological thriller, BLACKWATER LANE. Written by Elizabeth Fowler based on the best-selling novel by B.A. Paris, this is one riveting, twisty-turny tale that (1) doesn’t stray far from the book and (2) is exquisitely visualized by Jeff in the film as he taps into all of our senses. And we round out the show going overtime wit

We're showcasing a variety of films this week on BEHIND THE LENS as we welcome BRIAN JOHNSON who discusses his film POPULATION PURGE. Plus, my exclusive interview with ASIF AKBAR talking BONEYARD, and you'll get my mini-review of HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA – CHAPTER 1. First up, I can't help but talk about one of my favorite films of the year. A truly epic masterwork from Kevin Costner, HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA – CHAPTER 1. Co-written by Costner and Jon Baird, Costner's love of the Old West and man's ever-evolving attempts to tame it, settle it, develop it, cherish it, even destroy it, is once again evident here. Authenticity reigns supreme from costuming to set dress, as do the Utah locations in this emotional tale of a journey that begins in 1859 two years before the start of the Civil War, and over the course of the anticipated four chapters will span a total of 15 years. Then we switch gears and you'll hear my exclusive interview with director ASIF AKBAR talking about his n

It's another full house this week on #BTLRadioShow as we welcome MEREDITH YINGER talking SCARS UNSEEN and STEVE BALDERSON talking his new streaming series, BLOODY FAMOUS! PLUS, thanks to Steve being late with his call-in to the live show, you get the added bonus of my exclusive interview with JOSH MARGOLIN talking the fun-filled and unforgettable comedy THELMA. First up, writer/director MEREDITH YINGER joins us to talk about her new feature, a powerful documentary on domestic abuse but with a new perspective that we haven't seen before, SCARS UNSEEN, which makes its World Premiere on June 30th at Dances With Films in Hollywood! Then hear my exclusive interview with writer/director JOSH MARGOLIN as he talks about his new film THELMA and 94-year-old June Squibb – Action Hero! THELMA is not only fun but warm and wonderful; a sentimental journey of action and aging! And finally, the uber-talented writer/director/author STEVE BALDERSON joins us again for the fourth time (!!!!) talking about his la

It's a trifecta of festival films this week on BEHIND THE LENS and all three are "MUST SEE FESTIVAL FILMS" with "Must Meet" Festival Filmmakers at the upcoming Dances With Films film festival in Hollywood – THE PICKUP, THE EXPOSED, and TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER'S PARADOX. First up, take a listen as husband and wife filmmakers NICHOLAS ACOSTA and XENIA LeBLANC join us in talking about their respective films, THE PICKUP and THE EXPOSED. While Xenia wrote and directed the thriller, THE EXPOSED, she also starred in Nick's action-heavy film THE PICKUP. Both shorts are superb with THE PICKUP packing in action and humor while THE EXPOSED turns on a dime with a shocking reveal – and in only 5 minutes! Listen as each talks about their approaches to each of their films. And then get ready for writer/director STIMSON SNEAD and his feature film, the fabulous TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER'S PARADOX! A visual delight. A storytelling joy. Science is key. Visuals daz

This episode of BEHIND THE LENS is all about FUN with a capital "F" thanks to a favorite returning filmmaker, JONATHAN SMITH, and his latest film GUY FRIENDS, and the brilliance of director PABLO BERGER with the oh-so-wonderful ROBOT DREAMS. First up, take a listen to my exclusive interview with writer/director PABLO BERGER as we discuss his exquisitely magical animated film ROBOT DREAMS. I have long loved Pablo's work going back to his brilliant "Blancanieves" in 2012, and as much as I love his work there, I am in love with ROBOT DREAMS. This is a fun and insightful interview that I know you'll enjoy as Pablo discusses adapting Sara Varon's picture book of the same name, creating an animated film when he is not an animator and "does not draw", making New York a character, score and needledrops, pop culture influences, and more. And then the wonderful writer/director/DP/editor JONATHAN SMITH returns with a new film – GUY FRIENDS. As if "Batsh*t Bride"

We're heading into the great outdoors on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS with films about self-discovery, friendship, and family as we talk about SUMMER CAMP with CASTILLE LANDON and WILD EYED AND WICKED with GORDON FOXWOOD. First up is my exclusive interview with writer/director CASTILLE LANDON talking about the fun-filled comedic gem SUMMER CAMP which stars legends Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, and Alfre Woodard along with Dennis Haysbert, Eugene Levy, Josh Peck, and Betsy Sodero, just to name a few. Shot on location in North Carolina, the cinematography is as light and bright and textured as the characters and the story. Most impressive about Castille is her attention to detail and emotion in the writing and direction of SUMMER CAMP. I think you'll enjoy hearing what she has to say about the summer fun to be had here. Then writer/director GORDON FOXWOOD is live talking about his new film WILD EYED AND WICKED. Making his feature directorial debut, Gordon draws on elements of his own life with this

It's a full house on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS as we welcome two multi-hyphenate indie filmmakers, CHRISTOPHER SCHRACK and DANIEL YOON, who discuss their new films, FOR SALE and EAST BAY, respectively, not to mention wearing a multitude of filmmaking hats during a production. First up, writer/director/DP/editor CHRISTOPHER SCHRACK joins us discussing his new film, the horror comedy FOR SALE. Get ready to laugh out loud and jump out of your skin as we enter the world of narcissist Mason McGinness as he navigates life celebrating himself and cheating people out of anything and everything to further his own gains. But the tables may turn on Mason when he tries tackling real estate and his boss gives him the company albatross of "murder house" to sell. Belieing a very limited budget, FOR SALE is solid filmmaking. Listen as Christopher goes in-depth talking about the various elements of production from location, making the house a character, casting, visual effects, using natural light as muc

A very extended BEHIND THE LENS this week thanks to special guests CHARLEY and VLAS PARLAPANIDES who joined us live for an hour discussing Season 2 of BLOOD OF ZEUS. Plus my exclusive interview with MASTERS OF THE AIR Supervising Stunt Coordinator LEE MORRISON, and we remember ROGER CORMAN. I've been teasing this week's show for a while now and the movie gods have finally aligned. The Jersey boys are finally back with more BLOOD OF ZEUS!! Brothers, executive producers, and writers CHARLEY AND VLAS PARLAPANIDES are on hand discussing the long-awaited Season 2 of the Netflix animated hit, BLOOD OF ZEUS which dropped on Netflix on May 10th! And what a Season 2 this is as we continue the story of Heron, Zeus' demigod son, in the waging wars over Zeus' throne on Olympus. Executive Producers and writers of the entire series (Seasons 1 and 2). But first, you'll hear my exclusive interview with stunt coordinator LEE MORRISON talking about the masterful MASTERS OF THE AIR and the challenges

It's a mixed bag this week on BEHIND THE LENS thanks to director DANNY LEE talking about his new documentary WHO IS STAN SMITH? and our exclusive interview with VFX Supervisor MARCUS TAORMINA discussing REBEL MOON-PART 2: THE SCARGIVER. First up, take a listen as we dive into visual effects and my exclusive interview with VFX Supervisor MARCUS TAORMINA going in-depth about the visual effects work in REBEL MOON-PART 2: THE SCARGIVER. An interesting conversation as we delve into heat signatures and color, shooting ground battles in California where no pyro is permitted due to fire concerns thus putting more on the shoulders of VFX, working with Weta (aerial battles) and Scanline (ground battles), and more. Then one of the most insightful documentary discussions ever on #BTLRadioShow comes courtesy of director DANNY LEE as he talks about his new documentary WHO IS STAN SMITH?. Do you know who Stan Smith is? Some of you may know Stan Smith as a former tennis champion, not to mention having his own Adidas s

It's a mixed bag of creativity on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to writer/director/editor PATRICK MEANEY and his new film THE BRINK OF, and MOON KNIGHT costume designer MEGHAN KASPERLIK. First up, take a listen to my exclusive interview with PATRICK MEANEY discussing his latest film, the sweetly charming "integrated musical", THE BRINK OF. This is a film that will have you smiling from beginning to end while filling you up with wonderful original songs written and performed by lead actors Nicolette Norgaard and Tim Hoffman. Then you'll hear costume designer MEGHAN KASPERLIK talk about her extensive research and design process for the costume design of MOON KNIGHT just in time for the new 4K UHD and Blu-ray Steebook (complete with plenty of extras) release on April 30. Listen as Meghan dives into the minutiae of the details with everything from the environs and how that influenced costume and color, fabrications, buttons, 3D printing on fabric and more. http://eliasentertainmen

He's baaaaaack! That's right! Musician/singer/director/author FRANK MEYER is back for the fourth time on BEHIND THE LENS. Frank was initially scheduled to be in-studio for the entire hour, but due to a last-minute emergent situation, was unable to be here in person but still joined us via phone for the majority of the show. Fresh off his whirlwind tour with The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs in Spain and with more fun surprises in the offing, Frank talks about it all. Upcoming LP and EP releases, band merchandise (and boy did the fans in Spain love the merch!!), more touring for Frank, some great advice for creatives and particularly musicians/bands/singers about where to place your music for audience consumption so you get more of the money versus an entity like Spotify. Some very helpful insights from Frank. And if you think Frank was on a whirlwind, how about a short recap of some of my highlights from this past week's TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood celebrating the 15th Annual TCM

This week on BEHIND THE LENS we have a wonderful new filmmaker joining us live, DAMIAN HURLEY, discussing his new film STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL, plus our exclusive interview with screenwriter ALESSANDRO CAMON talking about his latest film, the emotionally powerful, THE LISTENER. Slow and steady wins the race with the films we're showcasing on this episode of #BTLRadioShow as we welcome writer/director DAMIAN HURLEY live to discuss his feature directorial debut of the slo-burn mystery STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Damian is a filmmaker to put on your radar now. Thoughtful, insightful, and skilled, Damian "sees" his vision and executes it utilizing all the tools in the cinematic toolbox to create emotionally and visually evocative storytelling. And just how is it to direct one's mother but have her as your producer? Damian tells all! And dare I say, he is one of the nicest individuals with whom I have ever spoken. But first, we kick off the show with my exclusive interview with screenwriter AL

A mix-and-match episode of BEHIND THE LENS this week as w/d/e/actor RICHARD RYAN joins us talking about ART OF DECEPTION. Plus, my exclusive interview with director THEA SHARROCK discussing the wickedly delicious WICKED LITTLE LETTERS. First up is my prerecorded exclusive interview with director THEA SHARROCK go in-depth on one of the most hilarious films you will see all year – WICKED LITTLE LETTERS. I laughed so hard that I had to watch the film twice to hear all of the dialogue. Boasting a first-rate cast with Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley, Timothy Spall, Gemma Jones, Eileen Atkins, Joanna Scanlon, and Anjana Vasan, with a script by Jonny Sweet, WICKED LITTLE LETTERS is quite simply, perfection. Based on a true event from the 1920's United Kingdom, foul language itself becomes a character thanks to the verbatim verbiage of the profane letters at the heart of this tale, which is then punctuated with outstanding production values and performances while also addressing themes as topical today as in

The Easterpalooza continues this week on BEHIND THE LENS as we are joined by DIANE FOSTER & ALLISON LOBEL talking about the comedy horror spectacular EASTER BLOODY EASTER, plus our exclusive interview with PHIL ALLOCCO discussing his new crime thriller 5LBS OF PRESSURE. If you missed the live show you definitely want to catch up now and take a listen as the show kicks off with my exclusive Interview with writer/director PHIL ALLOCCO. It's been six or so years since Phil was on the show with his first film, "The Truth About Lies", and now he's back with his second feature, the riveting crime thriller 5LBS OF PRESSURE starring Luke Evans and Alex Pettyfer. Then put on your best Easter bonnet and grab that basket of goodies to munch on as we hop into Easter mode again for a second look at the comedy horror film EASTER BLOODY EASTER, this week with producer/director/actor DIANE FOSTER and producer/writer/actor ALLISON LOBELL! Digging deep into the Easter fun that is EASTER BLOODY EAST

A wonderful fun-filled show this week on BEHIND THE LENS as I get to celebrate the remarkable work of two very talented longtime friends, writer/director DAVE BOYLE and actor/producer KELLY GRANT. First up is my prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director Dave Boyle going in-depth discussing his smash hit Netflix series HOUSE OF NINJAS! Known best for his films, diving into an eight-episode series – shot in Japan and in Japanese – is new territory for Dave and he more than delivers. Knowing Dave since his first film 18 years ago, with all he's done as a director, writer, writer/director, HOUSE OF NINJAS outshines everything that's come before! However, a real joy for me is seeing his steady growth as a filmmaker and storyteller, which brings him to this moment and this series. In the first half of the interview, we break down story, character, and casting (including cat labor laws in Japan) before moving into the technical aspect of the series production. And then we hop into the East

With everyone still in the hazy afterglow of Oscar, I opted to prerecord this episode of BEHIND THE LENS with two brand new exclusive interviews for you with MARK BRISTOL talking ACCIDENTAL TEXAN and JAMES HAWES talking the powerful ONE LIFE. Fresh off the Kenergy of last nights 96th Academy Awards, I'm taking a look at some of the highs ("I'm Just Ken") and the lows (the In Memoriam segment) of the broadcast. And then we look ahead with some films that are part of the Oscars 2025 pack. First, you'll hear my exclusive interview with director MARK BRISTOL discussing his new film, the light, bright and heartfelt ACCIDENTAL TEXAN, starring Thomas Haden Church, Rudy Pankow, Carrie-Anne Moss, Bruce Dern, and a scene-stealing turn by Eddie the Cow. A fun film filled with heart, our conversation reflects the fun of the film itself. Then history comes to life thanks to director JAMES HAWES as we discuss his feature directorial debut with ONE LIFE. An acclaimed television filmmaker, James b